Time-recorder and method of recording elapsed time.



H. T. 6088 & J. W. BRYCE.

TIME RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDlNG ELAPSED TIME.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN-25,1912. 1,218,995.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WRTNESSES:

wfiamj HMJ am Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

H. T. 6088 & J. W. BRYCE.

TIME RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDING ELAPSED TIME.

7| 1 9 1 00 1 M M d 6 t H 6 t a P L M 8w 2 N M D E H N 0 H A C U P P A 59 9 9 8 1 2 .I 1

B SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

I H. T. 6088 6; J. W. BRYCE, 'TIME RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDINGELAPSED nms.

7h 1 9. 3 m 1mm LA E E M #08 H 6 t a P 7 M 5 2 N M Dv E L n N, o H A C UP P WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS H. T. 6083 & J. W. BRYCE.

TIME RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDING ELAPSED TIME. APPLICATION FILEDJAN. 25, 1912.

1,218,995. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

H. T. (3088 8L 1. W. BRYCE.

TIME RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDING ELAPSED TIME.

N m l 0 MN 5 m N 1M IIIIII 1 W w m m M m J t8 w M m u N. m w m M A E P uw m a A 8 UM 8 mm N 1 H i 2 W 1 APPLICATION FILED JAN-25,19l2.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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mm Q E WITNESSES:

H. T. 6088 & J. W. BRYCE.

TIME RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDING ELAPSED TIME.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 25; 1912.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

B SHEETS-SHEET 8.

- VENTORS WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HABRYIT. Goss, or RUTHERFORD, AND JAMES w. BRYCE, or BLOOMFIEL NEW J1m-SEY, .ASSIGNORS T0 INTERNATIONAL TIME RECORDING COMPANY on NEW ORK, orENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

TIME-RECORDER AND METHOD OF RECORDING ELAFSED TIME.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patenfigfl'lfla 13 1917.

Application filed .1 anuary 25, 1912. Serial No. 673,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY T. Goes, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Rutherford, county of Bergen, and State of New Jersey, andJAMES W. Enron, a citizen of the United States, and residentof-Bloomfield,'county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Time-Recorder and Method of Recording Elapsed Time, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to time recorders. It is of especial value in timerecorders for recording elapsed times. It has for its object to providea simple and eflicient time recorder, especially oneadapted forrecording-elapsed times, as for example, between the beginning and theend of a job; a time recorder that will always be in operative positionwithout the necessity of resetting or readjusting and that will beunlimited in capacity within the range of its operathe tions. Ourinvention is especially useful for recording elapsed times of relativelyshort duration such as the elapsed time between the beginning and end ofa telephone con versation.

In the drawings accompanying this specie elapsed time recorder forrecording the length of time of telephone conversations.

Referring to this specific embodiment Figure 1 is a plan view of atelephone elapsed time recorder;, I

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a part of interior mechanism with thecover broken away for that purpose and with the abutment cylinder insection;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section .0 the lines 33 of Fig. 2;

. Fig. 4: is a vertical longitudinal section" on the lines 1- 1 of Fig.2;

. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on' the lines 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the handle mechanism on the lines 66 of Fig. 3; I

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the punch on the lines 77 of Fig.3;

Fig. 8 is a detail section of the type wheels on the lines 8- 8 of Fig.2; a

Fig. 9 is a detailof the ink ribbon feed,

on the lines 99 of F ig. 2;

Fig. 10 showsa card after the first or in operation showing a face ortop view of the card;

Fig. 11 is a face view of'the card afterthe second or out operation;

Fig. 12 is a back view of the card after the out operation;

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view showing the abutment cylinder, the spiraland other parts including the card both at the in and out positions;

Figs. 141-16 show a modified form of our invention, Fig. 14 being aplan, Fig. l5 a vertical section on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14, and Fig.16 a detail section on the line 1616 of Fig. 1-1; and

Fig. 17 is a detail section showing a cutout device for the printingpad.

Referring to the machine shown in the I drawings, 1 is the framework ofthe anabearings 3 in the framework and, provided with a card guide orguideway consisting of a projection from the surface of the cylinderspirally arranged thereon by means of which a card can always beproperly positioned in the machine in accordance with the time of thepositioning, and 4 represents a clock movement for rotating the cylinderin accordance with the time. We provide a timemarker, preferably apunch, for placing a'markupon the'card, preferably a punched hole ornotchupon the card, representing by its location thereon the time ofplacing such mark upon thecard. We preferably employ two punchespresently to be described. These are punches 5, 6.

The clock movement may be of any suitable description. In the formshown, 7 is I the main spring of the clock movement, 8 the minute arborrevolving once an hour, and 9 the minute recording wheel driven from arm8-through gears 10, 11, 12 and 13.

-The minute wheel 9 revolvesionce an hour.

'14 istheihour' wheel'driven from the minute wheel 9 through cam -15fast on the-shaft of minute wheel 9. This cam in the course of an hourgradually pushes back arm 16 i pivoted in the framework at 17 againstthe pressure of spring 18. At the end of each hour a tooth 19 on arm 16drops off the cam and causespawl 20, pivoted at the end of the arm, tofeed forward the hour wheel through ratchet 21 fast on the shaft of thehour wheel. 22 is a spring to hold the pawl in engagementwith theratchet.

Cylinder 2 is rotated four times an hour, making a complete rotation infifteen minutes. The means shown for this purpose consist of gear 23 onshaft 8 meshing with. gear 24: on shaft 25 loosely mounted in bearings26 secured to the framework, a gear 27 at the other end of shaft 25meshing with gear 28 fast on the shaft of cylinder 2, the lattercylinder being loosely supported in bearings 3, 3 of the framework. 30is a V- shaped projection from the surface of cylinder 2 arranged inspiral shape'thereon. It acts as a guide or guideway for properlypositioning the card. 29 is a raised edge on the top 34: of the machineto assist the operator in placing the card in proper position withrelation to the spiral card guide.

For this purpose, the card 31 is provided with a V-shaped notch 32. Ascale 33 is also preferably arranged along one edge of the card, thenotch 32 being at the zero of the scale. The scale represents 15 minutesand fifths of a minute. The card is positioned by being placed on thetop 34 of the machine with notch 32 placed against the V-shaped abutmentof projection 30. It will be understood that this abutment will travelalong surface 34c and will therefore position the card along the surfaceand relatively to the punches and printing mechanism in accordance withthe time.

35 is an operating handle for operating shaft 36 through geared sector37 fast on the shaft 38 of handle 35 and geared sector 39 fast on shaft36. Shaft 36 operates both of the punches 5, 6 and also the printing pad40. This is done through a cam 41 on shaft 36 rocking arm 42 fast onshaft l3 and downwardly rocking arm at fast onthe shaft. Arm 44 carriespunch 5. Punch 6 is operated on the other side of the machine throughshaft 36 in a precisely similar way. Arm as also carries printing pad4:0. Thus at every operation of handle 35 the punches and printing padsare actuated.

The operation of the machine is as follows: At the beginning of atelephone conversation the operator slips a card upon surface 34: andbrings notch 32 into engagement with the abutment of the spiral andpulls handle 35. This cuts a if-shaped notch in the lower side of thecard as shown at 45 in Fig. 10, and at the same time prints on .the backof the card the in time, as shown. at T6 in Fig. 12, where the timeprinted is 1O 19 The distance of the notch 45 from the right of the cardas viewed in Fig. T6 represents the in time. At the close of thetelephone conversation the operator reverses the card," although stillkeeping the same face up, and slips the in time notch 4-5 onto thespiral abutment and pulls the handle. Thereupon punch 5 punches hole d7in the edge of the card along the time scale at a point alongthat scalerepresenting the elapsed time between the first and the secondoperations of the machine. The distance of the notch 47 along the scalefrom the inner notch 32 represents the time'that has elapsed during thetelephone conversation and, as there shown, it is opposite the numeral 5in the time scale and indicates that five minutes have elapsed. At thesame time the out time is printed on the back of the card as shown at 48and as there shown is 10 24. The in and out times printed on the back ofthe card furnish a ready means of obtaining such times, if desired, andalso furnish a visual test of the accuracy of the operation of themachine.

Tn Fig. 13 we have given a diagrammatic view representing the positionof the parts and the card at two operations where in the in operationtheprojecting abutment or spiral was toward the right of cylinder 2 andin the second operation toward the left. In the in operation theabutment was at the point 49. With notch 32 of the card in engagementwith it the card extends to the right as shown in dotted lines. Thepositions of the punches 5 and 6 and the type wheels 9 and 14 areindicated in dotted lines. Tn this position of the parts the time isrepresented as being thirteen minutes from the beginning of therevolution of the spiral 30, leaving two minutes of the'spiral still tothe right of the abutment and notch 32. The position of the parts at theclose of the conversation is shown by the card in full lines at theleft, the abutment of the spiral being now at point 50. l/Vhen notch 46punched in the card at the first operation is now placed over theabutment 50, the card is to the left as shown in Fig. 13. Upon theoperation of the handle punch 6 will now punch the notch 4C7 along thetime scale on the other side of the card indicating that three minuteshave elapsed during the conversation. In this instance punch 6 and notloo punch 5 is the one that is operated simply because of the positionof the card. lit is for this reason that we prefer to employ twopunches, thus enabling the machine to be always operative and to beunlimited in its capacity within the range of the machine. Tn theoperation illustrated in Fig. 13 the in time was printed upon the backof the card, but the out time was not simply for the reason that wehaveshown only one set of printing wheels and in the out operation the cardwas not in line with them. @f

course, if desired, the printing wheels can be duplicated on the otherside of the machine and driven synchronously therewith and in that casethe out time would always be printed.

It will be understood that the two time markers or punches 5 and 6 arespaced apart a distance along the line of travel of the card guide orspiral abutment equal to the length of travel of the card guide and eachis adapted when opposite the card to punch a notch or make a suitablemark thereon representing by its location on the card either the time ofsuch marking or the elapsed time between two operations.

The ink ribbon feed mechanism is specially illustrated in Figs. 2, 3and9. The ink ribbon extends across the machine, passing over the typewheels in their printing position, and having .one end wound on spool 51and the other on spool 52. The ink ribbon spools are mounted on studs53and 54, fixed to the machine. As the ribbon leaves either spool it isembraced by the fingers 55 of the rock lever 56, which is pivotallymounted on the plate 57 at 58. The plate 57 is mounted on studs 59, 59fastened to the clock frame; Rock lever 56 has an upwardly extendingportion 60, which has a bifurcated end coacting with a pin 61 on shiftlever 62, pivotally mounted on plate 57. Shift lever 62 has twodownwardly extending arms 63 and 64:, arranged-so as to coact withabutment collars 65 and 66 on shaft 67. Shaft 67 has its ends mounted instuds 53 and 54:. A spiral spring 70 has one end attached to the stud58, on which rock lever 56 is mounted, and its other end is attached tothe shift lever 62. Each ribbon spool has mounted with it a gear 71coacting with a drive gear 72 mounted on shaft 67 Adjacent to theabutment collar 65 is a feed ratchet.,73 (see Fig. 9). This ratchet 73is fed forward by the pawl-74 mounted on a plate 75, fixed on theoperating shaft 36 of the machine. The pawl 74 has a spring 76 to holdit in contact with the ratchet.

The operation of the inking ribbon feed mechanism is as follows:

The shaft 67 is free to move longitudinally so that in the positionshown in the drawings the gear 72 is in mesh with gear, 71 on the righthandside (see Fig. 3), and the ribbon is being wound up on spool 52.VVhenthe end of the ribbon with the usual thickened part or rivetreaches the left hand fingers 55, the rock lever 56 .is graduallycarried-to a central position, taking with it the shift lever 62, thepin 61 causing this movement. When rock lever 56 has just passed thecentral position spring 70 exerts its pull on the opposite side of thepivot point of lever 62 and causes rock lever 56 and shift lever 62 tojump to their other position. The arm 63 comes into contact with collar65 and shifts shaft 67 to the right so as. to put A gears 71.,and 72 onthe left, into mesh with each otherand disengage gears 72 and 71 on theright. Thereupon the ribbon starts to feed in the other direction. Ateach operation of the machine pawl 74 feeds ratchet 73 forward one toothand so rotates shaft 67, and thus feeds the ink ribbon.

Where in any case the distance from the spiral abutment to the righthand end of the cylinder is not suflicient to measure the time that haselapsed the work of recording the elapsed time is taken up by the timemarker or punch at the left. In such a case the machine adds to what isleft on the cylinder at the right of the spiral abutment, a space ordistance from the left hand end of the cylinder to the spiral abutmentat the time of the second operation, thus giving the complete elapsedtime in every case, irrespective of the location along the cylinder ofthe abutment either at the time of the in operation or at the time ofthe out opera-' tion.

We are thus enabled to use a short card, and our improved machine can beused continuously and repeatedly for an unlimited number of operations,and elapsed time records up to the range of the machine can i always bemade. The range of the particular machine shown in the drawings is anelapsed time of fifteen minutes. Our improved machine is accordinglyespecially useful where the intervals of time to be 9 measured areshort, as in a telephone exchange.

The revoluble cylinder with its spiral card guide or guideway is ineffect a series of card guides connected and movable together, the partof the spiral abutment projecting downward at any time and coacting withthe notch in the card being in itself a guide to properly position thecard at such time, relatively to the time marker, in accordance with thetrue time.

In Figs. 1446 we have shown a modification showing another form of .aseries of card guides connected and movable together.

In this form the card guides are shown as abutments 80, each triangularin cross-section and projecting from an endless belt 78 passingover'rollers 81 and 82 loosely mounted in the framework of the machine.The endless belt 7 8 is provided with a row of perforations 7 9 adaptedto engage sproket teeth 891m the rollers for advancing the endlem belt78 in accordance with time. 83 is a gear mounted on the minute arbor 8of the clock movement, meshing with a gear 84 fast with 12g roller 82and driving that roller and the endless belt 78 in accordance with time.85

is a cover to protect the steel belt where otherwise it would beexposed.

Where the printing pad is operated with 25 no card beneath it, parts areapt to become cept when a card is beneath the pad. We have shown acut-out device for this purpose in Fig. 17. In this form the printingpad is mounted on one end 88 of a rock lever fulcrumed at 97 in theframework, theother end of the rock lever being a depending arm The rocklever is operated through a cam 90 on-operating shaft 36 by means of'adepending arm 94: loosely mounted on the fulcrum 97 and through anupright piece 92 pivoted at 98 to an arm 91 loose on stud 87. A spring99, secured at one end to arm 91 and at its other end to the lower partof I upright piece 92, holds that piece against stud 93 on arm 91. Aspring 100 is secured at its lower end to an arm 101 loose on stud 87,and at its upper end to swinging piece 86 also loose on stud 87. A cam96 on operating shaft 36 engages a roller 102 in the end of arm 101, andthrough spring 100 tends to pull downward the swinging piece 86 into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 17. At the same time cam 90strikes arm 94: and forces it against the upper part of upright piece 92and against rock lever 95, tending to throw down the printing pad. Whena card is in the slot, as shown in Fig. 17, the left-hand end of piece86 strikes the card. In this position of the parts, spring 100 isstretched by cam 96, and the printing pad is thrown down, as abovedescribed. if no card is present, however, swinging piece 86 movesdownward to the left into the position shown in dotted lines, andcarries with it arm 91 which is fast with swinging piece 86. Thisdownward movement causes the upright piece 92 to be moved downward frombetween the opposing ends of arm 94 and rock lever 95. In this positionof the parts, cam 90 merely moves arm 9% idly to the right not cominginto contact with rock lever 95 and without depressing the pad. It willbe seen that the presence of a card is necessary, therefore, to causethe depression of the printing pad.

Our improved device furnishes a simple and efficient means for computingand re cording elapsed time between two operations. In its preferredform the work is accomplished by cutting two notches on the edge of acard, the first one indicating the in time, and the second by itslocation on the card representing the travel of the cylinder from the intime to the out time, or in other words, representing the elapsed timebetween the two operations. The term card as used herein, is usedbroadly to indicate any recording surface capable of coacting with theother parts. llt may be made of any suitable material, size or form, Theclock-controlledmeans employed herein may be of any suitable kind,whether driven directly by a clock or merely controlled by the clockmovement, or whether the devices operate mechanically or electrically.'llhe time markers are shown asin accordance with time, clock controlledmeans for moving the card guide, and two stationary time markers spacedapart a dis tance along the line of travel of the card guide equal tothe length of travel of the card guide, and each adapted when oppositethe card to make a mark thereon representing by its location on the cardthe time of' such marking or the elapsed time between the twooperations.

2. 1n anelaps'ed time recording machine, the combination ofa card guideadapted when in operative position itself to properly position a cardrelative to two time markers in accordance'with time, clock controlledmeans for moving the card guide, two stationary time markers spacedapart a distance along the-line of travel ofthe card guide 7 equal tothe length of travel of the card guide, and each adapted when oppositethe card to make a mark thereon representing by its location on the cardthe time of such marking or the elapsed time between two operations, allso arranged that when, on a second operation of the machine, the card isinserted in the reverse way and the time mark made at the firstoperation is brought into register withthe card guide, that one of thetime markers, which is opposite the card will make a time mark upon theopposite side of the card from the first mark, indicating by itslocation upon the card the elapsed time between two operations.

3. in an elapsed time recording machine, the combination of a card guideadapted, when in operative position itself to properly position a cardrelative to two time markers in accordance with time, clock controlledmeans for moving the card guide, two stationary time punches spacedapart a distance along the line of travel of the card guide, equalto thelength of travel of the time guide, and each adapted when opposite thecard to make a mark thereon representing by its location on the card thetime of such marking, and a card provided on one side i representing byitslocation on the card the time of the first or in operation, and whenrepresenting by its location on the scale the elapsed time between thetwo operations.

4. In an elapsed time recording machine, the combination-of a card guideadapted when-in operative position itself to properly position a cardrelative to two time markers, clock controlled means for moving the cardguide, two stationary time markers spaced apart a distance, along theline of travel of the card guide, equal to the length of travel of thecard guide, and each adapted when opposite the card, to make a markthereon representing by its location on the card the time of suchmarking or the elapsed time between the two operations.

5. In an elapsed time recording machine, the combination of a spiralcard guide for properly positioning a card in the machine, clockcontrolled means for rotating the card guide so that the card guide willalways spaced apart a distance, along the line of position a card in themachine in accordance with time, two stationary time markers spacedapart a distance, along the line of travel of the card guides, equal tothe length of travel of the card guide and each adapted, when oppositethe card, to make a mark thereon representing-by its location on thecard the time of such marking or the elapsed timebetween two operations;

6. In anelapsed timerecordingmachine, the combination of avrevolublecylinder, a card guide consisting of a projection therefrom spirallyarranged on the cylinder, clock controlled means for rotating thecylinder so that the card guide will always position'a card in themachine Iin'accordance with time, two stationary markers travel of thecard guides, equal to the length i of travel of the card guide and eachadapted, when opposite the card, to make a mark thereon representing byits location on the card the time of such marking or the elapsed timebetween two operations and a card, all so arranged that when, on asecond operation of the machine, the card is inserted in the reverse wayand the time mark made atthe first operation is brought into registerwith the-card guide, that one of the time markers which is opposite thecard will make a time mark upon the opposite side of thecard from thefirst mark, indicating by its location upon the card the elapsed timebetween the two operations.

7. In an elapsed time recording machine, the combination of a revolublecylinder, a card guide consisting of a projection therefrom spirallyarranged on the cylinder,

clock controlled means for rotating the cyl-' inder so that the cardguide will always position a card in the/machine in accordance withtime, two stationary time punches spaced apart a distance, along theline of travel of the card guide, equal to the length of travel ofthecard guide and each adapted,

when opposite a card, to punch a mark thereon representing by itslocation on the card the time of such punching or the elapsed timebetween two, operations and a card, all so arranged that when, on asecond operation of the machine, the card is inserted in the reverse wayand the time mark punched at the first operation is brought intoregister with the card guide, that one of the time punches which isopposite the card will punch a time mark upon the opposite side fromspirally arranged on the cylinder,

clock controlled means for rotating the cylinder so that the card guidewill always position a card in the machine in accordance with time, twostationary time punches spaced'apart a distance, along the line oftravel of the card guide, equal to the length of travel of the cardguide and each adapted, when opposite a card, to punch a mark thereonrepresenting by its location on the card the time of such punching orthe elapsed time between two operations and a card provided on one sidewith a time scale, all so arranged that upon a first operation of themachine a time mark will be punched by one of the punches upon the edgeof the card opposite the time scale representing by its location on thecard the time of the first or.in operation, and, when on a secondoperation the said time mark is brought into register with the .cardguide, a time mark will be punched by one of the time punches on thescale side of the card representing by its location on the scale theelapsedtime between the two operations.

9. In an elapsed time recording machine, the combination of a revolublecylinder, a card guide consisting of a projection therefrom spirallyarranged on the cylinder, clock controlled means for rotating thecylinder so that the card guide will always pothe machine a time markwill be punched. by one ofthe punches upon the edge oi the card oppositethe time scale representing by its location on the card the time of thefirst or in operation, and, when on a second operation the said timemark is brought into register with the card guide, a time mark will bepunched by one of the 7 time punches on the scale side of the cardrepresenting by its location on the scale the elapsed time between thetwo operations, and automatic means for printing the in time and the outtime upon the card at the time of such respective operations.

10. lln an elapsed time recording machine, the combination of arevoluble cyl inder, a card guide consisting of a projection therefromspirally arranged on the cylinder, clock-controlled means for rotatingsoarranged that upon a first operation of the machine a time mark willbe punched by one of the punches upon the edge of the card opposite thetime scale representing by its location on the card the time of thefirst or in operation, and, when on a second time upon the card at thetime of such respective operations, and a cut-out device for renderingthe printing means inoperative except when a card is present.

11. In an elapsed time recording machine, the combination of a cardguide adapted when in operative position itself to properly position acard relative to the time markers, clock controlled means for moving thecard guides, two stationary time markers spaced apart a distance alongthe line of travel of the card guide, equal to the length of travel ofthe card guide and each adapted, when opposite the card, to make a markthereon representing by its location on the card the time of suchmarking or the elapsed time between two operations, automatic means forprinting upon the card the time of each operation, and a cut-out devicefor rendering the printing means inoperative except when a card ispresent.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- HARRY T. GOSSQ JAMES W. BRYCE.- Witnesses:

EDWIN SEGER, JOHN O. TEMPLER.

